Various fuel system components in modern internal combustion engine fuel systems are subjected to harsh operating conditions. High fuel pressures, debris particles, and repetitively impacting components tend to require the hardware used in such systems to be robust. If not addressed, various in-service and break-in wear phenomena can lead to performance degradation and potentially system failure. Hardening of materials, coating of certain components, and exacting manufacturing tolerances are techniques which have all been used in various forms to prolong fuel system service life.
Commonly owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/863,777 to Taylor, et al., now United States Publication No. 2009/0087673, now abandoned, is directed to a method for coating fuel system components. Taylor, et al. teach provision of a substrate and a coating, where the substrate comprises steel and the coating comprises a metal nitride, for use in production of a fuel system component. The strategy in Taylor, et al. appears to result in components resistant to wear. Despite the advantages offered by Taylor, et al., there remains room for improvement.